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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Seminary and College Funds 178 L f In 1861 an effort was made to establish an agricultural college in Washington county by state aid. The institution was chartered by an act of the general assembly approved February 21, 1861, and entitled " a n act for the disposition of seminary lands and to incorporate the 'Illinois Agricultural College.' " At this time there were four and one-half sections of the seminary lands belonging to the state still unsold and these were given to this new and, as it proved, ill-advised institution. By the act of incorporation Thomas Quick, J. W. Singleton, William A. Hacker, Walter Buchanan, B. C. Renois, Harmon Alexander, Curtis Blakeman, James G. Stipp, and Zadoc Casey, were constituted a body corporate by the name and style of the Illinois agricultural college "for the purpose of instruction and science in practical and scientific agriculture, and in the mechanical arts." 3 2 According to a statement by Newton Bateman, state superintendent of public instruction, the founder of the institution was Thomas Quick, who was also, according to the same authority, professor of law, and president of the board of directors. The capital stock was to be not less than fifty thousand nor more than two hundred thousand dollars, and was to be devoted exclusively to instruction in practical and scientific agriculture and mechanic arts. The corporation sold the seminary lands, receiving therefor fifty-eight thousand dollars, and applied thirty thousand dollars of the proceeds in the purchase of the college farm at Irvington, Washington county, and in the erection of college buildings thereon. A reprint from the catalog of the institution, shows what was actually done to establish this agricultural college: "Six miles south of Centralia, at Irvington, Washington county, on the Illinois Central Railroad, they obtained 560 acres of rich, rolling prairie, pleasantly situated, well supplied with good water, and known as a healthy location—the climate and soil being well adapted to develop the agricultural resources of the State in a high degree of perfection. funds that went to support it see, p. 86. A concise history of the Illinois state normal university is found in Illinois School Report; 1886-1888, LXXVII by W. L. PMsbury. "IKinow School Beport, 1867-1868, p. 259.
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